1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sports bra which is created to provide support, especially for the woman with large breasts, during leisure time activities, such as jogging, horseback riding and aerobics. More particularly, the sports bra is constructed in such a manner as to provide firm support for the breasts and back of the wearer and to avoid irritation commonly experienced by the woman with large breasts during such activities.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, various sports bras have been proposed to provide support, by binding the breasts of a woman against the body. Examples of number of such bras are disclosed in the following U.S. Patents:
______________________________________ U.S. PAT. NO. PATENTEE ______________________________________ 3,628,539 Fredricks 4,174,717 Schreiber et al 4,289,137 Dell et al 4,311,150 Schreiber et al 4,314,569 Speno 4,325,378 Wilkinson 4,444,191 Harned 4,538,614 Henderson 4,583,544 Flanagan et al ______________________________________
The Fredericks U.S. Pat. No. 3,628,539 discloses a mammary support which comprises a postoperative mammary dressing or support constructed of uniformly distensible material having a back panel and front panels. The panels are detachably connected to one another for facilitating application and removal of the dressing. Each front panel includes a breast cup having an upper section of elliptical profile and a lower section of semielliptical profile arranged and connected to one another and to the detachable panels in a manner which, it is stated, will reduce respiratory restriction and post operative hematoma and seroma formation, while at the same time, exerting a uniform force to maintain artificial implants in position during healing.
The Schreiber et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,174,717 discloses an athletic brassiere which is designed to hold the breasts snugly to the body. A wide elastic rib band and elastic strips which cross in the back hold the brassiere firmly in place. A non-irritating material is used and all seams face the outside. There is no hardware in this brassiere. The cups are not shaped, but are made of an elastic material to pull the breasts in snugly against the body.
The Dell et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,137 discloses a sports brassiere which includes a one-piece back, strong under-bust support, and breast cups which are made to limit upward bounce during jogging or similar athletic activities. The breast cups have elastic panels supporting the underside of the breast. The one-piece back is T-shaped, with the shoulder straps and side panels being part of the one-piece back. The garment has front fastening means.
The Schreiber et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,311,150 discloses an athletic brassiere which comprises a wide elastic rib band and elastic straps which cross in back to hold the brassiere firmly in place. The seams of this brassiere all face the outside and a non-irritating material is used in the formation of same. Again, all hardware is eliminated, and the cups are not shaped but are made of elastic material to pull the breasts in snugly against the body. Elastic edging material lines the top of the front and side panels and merges to form straps which criss-cross in the back.
The Speno U.S. Pat. No. 4,314,569 discloses a bra for athletic activities. The bra is constructed to have top cups which extend down farther than on conventional bras, putting the seam between the top cups and the under cups below the apex to avoid irritation of the nipples. Side panels at the outer ends of each under cup extend only the height of the under cup, and each top cup extends farther back above the adjacent side panel, to a seam at the rearward edge of the top cup and side panel. All raw edges of seams on the bra are either on the outside or, if inside, are concealed from contact with the skin. The material for the top cups and under cups may be soft and non-stretchable, such as cotton.
The Wilkinson U.S. Pat. No. 4,325,378 discloses a women's sports garment which is in the general form of a brassiere for use when engaged in a physical activity and in particular, jogging. The garment comprises an inner liner and outer breast supporting flaps overfitting the liner, the inner liner and outer flaps being independently displaceable, at least in the area adjacent the breasts, with the flaps being adjustably cinchable. The liner may be provided with breast-engaging pockets in the general form of a brassiere. The liner may also have shoulder straps and an elastic member disposed below the supporting pockets. The two supporting flaps may be connected to the liner behind the breast-engaging pockets. When the flaps are cinched together, an inward pressure, independent of any vertical load caused by the weight of the breasts, is created, thereby preventing excessive movement. Movement of the liner is independent of movement of the supporting flaps.
The Harned U.S. Pat. No. 4,444,191 discloses a comfort garment which characterizes a jogging support for the upper female anatomy and which may assume various forms, such as (1) a vest which includes a non-elastic front panel and elastic straps attached thereto which combine to restrict upward and downward breast movement, a non-elastic back panel, and expandable bottom and side panels which permit stretching action during jogging or like activity; (2) a similar form to that of the vest, where the entire garment is made from an elastic material and/or where the bottom, side and back panels are unitary and expandable, or variations of the preceding; and (3) a continuous wrapped unit serving the same breast movement restricting functions, but maintained on the torso in a halter/strap fashion. The garment may be secured in position on the wearer in a sweater-like relationship through the use of hooks or loop-pile type fastening material ties, and may serve as an undergarment, or as an outer garment.
The Henderson U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,614 discloses an athletic garment for women which includes two front panels, a rear panel, shoulder straps, and connecting means for connecting the front panels together to secure the garment to the wearer. The garment includes various types of elastic material of varying elasticity and spring rates to provide support for the breasts while securing the garment in the vertical direction to the torso of the wearer. In the vicinity of the securing means on the front of the garment, it is relatively inelastic to provide separation of the breasts. The front and rear panels are of a generally planar configuration to their normal disposition and expand to the form of the person wearing the garment to provide support.
The Flanagan et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,544 discloses a sports bra. The bra has no cups and seams are avoided. The bra is, essentially, formed as one continuous knitted piece with a two way stretch, and the rear of the bra has a height almost the same as that of the front of the bra.
As will be disclosed in greater detail hereinafter, the sports bra of the present invention differs from the prior art by providing a structure that is particularly configured for use by the woman with large breasts and which is made of a power knit material that provides for stretching of the fabric around the body of the wearer, provides extra wide straps for the garment thus eliminating pressure on the shoulders of the wearer, the extra wide straps incorporating a non-stretch material insert to limit or altogether eliminate up and down movement of the breasts while jogging, and which has criss-crossed stretchable support members across the back of the bra to provide support for the back of the wearer.